


Promise to the Moon

by astra (hauntedpunk)



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe, The Vice Quadrant - Steam Powered Giraffe (Album)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, diplomatic missions, i really need a name for rav's moon prince, the plot digresses a little but its ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 16:58:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8900425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hauntedpunk/pseuds/astra
Summary: The prince had been in a courtyard there and Peter, still confused, watched as Rav dropped to one knee and took his hand in his, pressing a light kiss to his fingers. 
That’s when it finally clicked for Peter what Rav meant when he said ‘his prince’.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Bunny answered an ask one time saying that Rav has a Moon Prince for a boyfriend and, well - I had to incorporate him into my ravcosmo fanon. Any ideas for a name? 
> 
> ALSO I apologize in advance for how far the plot digresses! It goes from the two of them talking about the moon prince to polyamory to their lifestyles. I kind of like it because it sounds how like real conversations flow but as a plot point, it's kind of distracting. Regardless I hope you like it!! 
> 
> Hit me up at @ravcosmo on tumblr for fic requests and all things ravcosmo !!!

The moon is warm like Earth’s summer and the sky is an inky black, peppered with shining stars. In the distance the crystalline capital of the moon glimmers under the light from their nearby planet. It hangs low in the sky, casting the sapphire city in a soft glow. Far from the hustle of the city, Peter watches as Rav traipses through the tall field.

It’s quiet with an unearthly silence that Peter is trying to familiarize himself with. Being so far from Earth means adjusting to the tranquility of most other planets. Butterfly-like creatures glowing with a kind of quiet bioluminescence flutter by as the pair makes their way toward the ship. The grass is up to his waist and deep, emerald green. White flowers puff open with every nudge from the two of them, and as they walk, the field blooms where they have been. Rav walks through them with his brand of excitement that Peter has come to know, poking at the buds with an amused expression on his face when the burst open, showering the dark night in bright pollen. 

“How much farther from the ship are we?” Peter asks, voice crackling like radio static through the silent night. 

“‘Bout a ten minute walk,” Rav says, turning to him. 

Peter is once again struck by how vibrant Rav is all the time: he suits the moon so well with the faint green glow he gives off, so much like a star. The commander nods and prods at an already-bloomed flower. 

As the city shrinks with the distance, Peter can’t help but think back to their time there. He and Rav had been travelling in the Orion Quadrant when the pilot had received a transmission from the moon. 

“The prince!” he had said passionately. “He needs to see me as soon as possible. Looks like the trip out here will have to wait a few days.”

Rav had spent the next three days more distant than usual, bubbling with excitement and humming songs under his breath that Peter teased were love songs. He wasn’t wrong, apparently. When they arrived to the moon, a small satellite to a massive gas giant, Rav had dressed in the nicest clothes Peter had ever seen him in. They were a dark, regal purple pant and shirt set with an open, flowing blue robe. His spring green skin had clashed magnificently in a way that made his freckles pop like stars on his skin. 

Once in the city they were taken to the palace. Peter had never seen anything so opulent and grandiose in his life. It seemed to be made of pearl and their steps echoed importantly through the shining halls. The prince had been in a courtyard there and Peter, still confused, watched as Rav dropped to one knee and took his hand in his, pressing a light kiss to his fingers. 

That’s when it finally clicked for Peter what Rav meant when he said ‘his prince’. 

The scene keeps replaying in his mind as he walks through the quiet night with Rav humming some melancholy tune under his breath. The way they had looked at each other with a fond familiarity, all four of the prince’s eyes gleaming with warmth. Rav had paid no mind to the jewels or the clothes his prince wore, simply standing and taking his hand, whispering something in the moon’s native language that made both of them laugh. 

The prince had asked Rav something in his language, nodding toward Peter.

Rav had laughed nervously and shaken his head, brown curls bouncing with every movement. “No; this is my...Commander Cosmo.”

“Pleased to meet you, Commander,” the prince said kindly, in heavily accented English. 

“Nice to meet you too, your highness,” Peter said back a bit stiffly. 

“We’ll be back soon, Commander,” Rav said with a wink. 

The prince and Rav had disappeared into the palace for some time, leaving Peter alone in the courtyard with several armed guards. He had walked through the sprawling gardens, trying not to think about the jealousy coiling in his chest at the thought of Rav and the prince alone together. They had returned awhile later still speaking quietly and closely to one another. Peter had diverted his eyes during their last, lingering kiss, willing himself to think about anything but that. They were beautiful together though, the prince a deep blue like the sapphire city and Rav a bright spring green. They matched somehow, and it made Peter ache with wistfulness. 

His prince, Peter thinks with a tinge of despair as he follows Rav back to the ship. Every now and then Rav cracks a bad joke and then laughs, like always, sending those charming smiles and winks back to the commander. It’s as if he knows he’s torturing Peter and is taking pleasure in it. (Peter knows this thought is ridiculous because Rav is his best friend and apparently in a relationship with god damn royalty that never came up in the half a year they’ve been travelling together.) He’s so ethereal with his robe fluttering behind him like a cape as he twists through the blooming flowers. 

“What did you and the prince talk about in there?” he says as casually as he can manage. 

Rav slows down, allowing Peter to catch up with him until they are walking side by side. He can see the S.S. Alexander in the distance now, tucked in a clearing in the treeline coming up shortly. So close to Rav, he can see that he is playing nervously with the sleeves of his clothing. He coughs as if to clear his throat and then smiles at Peter, and it’s striking how melancholy it is. 

“He wanted to tell me that his coronation is comin’ up in the next year or so,” Rav says. “I’m thrilled for him; he’s been workin’ toward it for years and years. The people love him - he’ll be a wonderful leader.”

“So then why do you sound like you just got broken up with?” Peter asks as softly as he can. It sounds harsher than he intends, but thankfully Rav just lets out a sharp bark of laughter. 

“Once he gets crowned he’ll be betrothed to his other boyfriend - a duke from a neighboring moon. It’s good for both of ‘em, they’re both sweet as can be, it’s just that means I can’t be in the picture after that - “

“Other boyfriend?” Peter interrupts, feeling a bit lost. 

Rav blinks and tilts his head. “Yeah, they’ve been together maybe half the time that we’ve been. He’s a real nice guy, I’ve met him a few times.”

“He has...two boyfriends?” Peter can tell he’s moving a little slow but - two? Boyfriends? The prince having one boyfriend and that boyfriend being Rav was shocking enough. 

“Yes, Commander,” Rav says, and he laughs, laughs like it’s the funniest thing Peter has ever said. “Do they not have polyamory on Earth?”

“Well...no? Not...really.”

Rav pauses. “Oh. For real? Like, at all?”

Peter stumbles over his words and curses himself internally. He brushes hands with Rav and pulls back immediately. “I mean - I guess, some people, do that. But it isn’t really commonplace.” 

“I forgot there was a reason my family left Earth,” Rav says as he rolls his eyes. “Ya’ll are so backwards there. Almost no one’s gay, people only date one person...Sounds like a bore.”

For all of his surprise and embarrassment, Peter laughs. “That’s exactly why I’m here with you.”

Rav shoots Peter a look that the commander can’t quite read. He prods at a flower they pass and watches it let out the puff of pollen. “You’re tellin’ me you’re here with me to be gay and date more than one person?”

“No!” Peter groans. “I meant - I’m here because we both know Earth is boring, and - “

“- And you didn’t wanna be a superhero anymore.” Rav puts a hand on Peter’s arm and grins teasingly. “I get it, really. But I also get that you totally want to have super exciting, gay, polyamorous experiences.”

“Rav!” This was a mistake. Rav is grinning at him like he just found out his deepest secret. “Come on - “

 

“You’re not denyin’ it, Commander,” Rav says, and sticks out his tongue. Peter is almost surprised at how juvenile he is for a three hundred year old interdimensional traveller, and then he remembers that it’s Rav, and he would never expect anything more of him. “Just admit that you want me to show you how I live.”

“You caught me, Rav,” Peter deadpans. He can feel that he’s blushing, and he knows he looks ridiculous when he blushes that pale blue color over his pink-tinged skin. His stars and galaxies are going crazy. “That’s exactly what I want.”

Rav stops entirely and turns to face the commander, a wicked grin on his face. “Prove it, Commander. Whisk me away, I’ll show you how to really live.” 

He throws himself to Peter and Peter catches him instinctively, holding him up by the waist. A smile forces its way out of his stoic expression and he laughs. 

“Don’t tempt me.”

“You wouldn’t,” Rav challenges him, stepping away and shrugging, though he’s still smiling faintly. “Guess you just don’t wanna use your ‘super space muscles’, Commander.”

Peter can’t believe how hard he’s laughing at Rav’s shitty joke, one of his millions of references to the Commander Cosmo hero worship back on Earth he’s heard about. It hits him in the moment how quickly his mood had done a one-eighty, and he shakes his head at Rav, who’s back to walking through the grass toward the ship.

“You want to show me how you live, Rav?” Peter says. 

“Sure thing, Commander,” he responds without turning around. 

“Then I get to show you how I live.” 

“Wha - ?” 

Peter launches forward into the air and flies the short distance forward, scooping Rav up bridal style. The pilot shouts and throws his arms around Peter’s neck. Grinning, Peter shoots upward into the dark sky, toward the glittering stars. The wind rushes in his ears, but he can hear Rav’s slightly panicked breathing, eyes shut tight. After a moment Peter levels off, hovering a little less than a mile from the ground. 

“Open your eyes, Rav,” he says quietly. 

The air whistling by, Rav opens his eyes and clutches Peter even tighter. From their vantage point the entire city, the field, and the vast horizons of snow capped mountains is laid out before them. They can see the lights of the city and the forest to their left and a stream twining its way through all of it. The glowing butterflies from the field are as small as stars from up here, and with the darkened night, it seems as though the ground and the sky have swapped places. 

“Oh, wow,” Rav says, uncharacteristically subdued. 

Peter smiles. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re one lucky bastard for being able to see this whenever you’d like.”

Peter laughs and soars down a little bit, feeling Rav’s arms tighten around his shoulders once more. “Are you satisfied? Have you seen the way I live?”

Rav tilts his head back and looks at the commander, grinning. “I’d say so. Now it’s my turn?”

Peter rolls his eyes. “I guess so.” 

He feels Rav pull himself up so that he’s almost eye level with the commander. They stare at each other, Rav all wide-eyed and bright as ever, before Peter realizes what he’s about to do. 

Rav leans in and kisses him, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. 

Shocked, Peter drops about twenty feet, eyes going wide. Rav shouts loudly and clings to the commander. 

“I - “ Peter catches himself and rights them in midair, blushing profusely. “I - I’m so sorry. Oh, my God, Rav. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drop like that you just - ”

“Startled you?” Rav finishes, cheeks flushed with adrenaline but grinning. “If you’re going to fall out of the sky every time I kiss you we’d better land, buddy.”

“But your boyfriend!” he exclaims, the thought suddenly coming to him. “Oh, my God…”

Rav puts a hand on his cheek and forces Peter to look at him. “Commander. I can date whoever I’d like - remember? That’s how we started talkin’ about this. That’s why we’re here. I can kiss you if you’d like.”

“Oh.” Peter nods vaguely. “Duh.”

Rav rolls his eyes again but this time it’s saturated with so much love that Peter nearly falls again. “So, do you want me to kiss you or not?”

“Very much so,” Peter says breathlessly.

Shaking his head and smiling, Rav leans up and curves a hand around the back of Peter’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. It’s slow and soft and the commander feels dizzy with the feeling. Rav’s kisses are as sweet as he is.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again!!! I'm at ravcosmo.tumblr.com ;00 
> 
> (and qpid.tumblr.com but that one's a little less important)


End file.
